As a conventional work transferring apparatus which transfers a workpiece in and out of a thermal cutting machine such as laser work machine or plasma work machine, there are publicly known such devices as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publications No. HEI 3-51927 and No. HEI 3-19651 and the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. HEI 3-60891.
The work transferring apparatus disclosed in these publications transfers the workpiece from an auto-stoker into a cutting machine by means of a vacuum type loader of. After the workpiece is processed by of the thermal cutting machine, the work transferring apparatus transfers the processed workpiece out of the machine by means of a magent type un-loader with a product and a scrap being microjointed. That is, a series of work transferring processes is performed automatically.
However, in the work transferring apparatus, there are some problems because the separation of the product and the scrap, which are carried out in the microjointed state, is done through manual work, thus providing adverse productivity. In addition, since the size of the scrap which is separated from the product is large, it is troublesome to recover the scrap.
Furthermore, since the vacuum type loader and the magnet type un-loader are both of vacuum hanging type, if a workpiece, for example, a thick plate, has a heavy weight, there is a fear that the loader and the un-loader will fall down. Further, because the top one of the workpieces which are stacked is lifted by suction, if the workpieces are thin plates, it is likely plural workpieces will be stuck together and conveyed out together with the in a so-called double-blank state. When such double-blank state is caused, the thermal cutting machine stops page automatically, resulting in the stop of the workpiece cutting machine, lowering of the operational efficiency of the thermal cutting machine, and inconveniently.
Still further, in the conventional apparatus, since the vacuum type loader and the magnet tape un-loader are used, the structure of the work transferring apparatus is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the foregoing problems, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a work transferring device of a thermal cutting machine, which need not convey workpieces microjointed to another working place to separate the product and the scrap from each other, with the result that the productivity and the operational efficiency of the machine can be improved, and that the work transferring apparatus has a simple structure and can be manufactured at a reduced cost.